Fabric printing block

In the ethnographic archives of the National Museum in Szczecin, there is a large collection of over a hundred pieces of fabric printing stamps. These are wooden objects, with an ornament on one side and grooved handles on the other, which were used for printing patterns on fabrics. The stamp on display is decorated with woodcarving technique with the addition of pins fixed in the wood, arranged in a floral ornament of twigs with leaves, popular in textile printing. The patterns are arranged in a checkerboard pattern, which was commonly found on printing blocks, in different variations. On the side of the stamp, there is a number 1684, most probably a stamp production year, although considering the technique applied, it is not that certain. According to the ethnographer Roman Reinfuss, the engraved patterns on printing blocks were enriched with small metal elements only in the 18th century. The considerable size of the stamp is also worth noting. The size and weight of the stamp were significant because the printer had to repeatedly imprint the pattern by hand on the fabric. The stamps could not be too heavy, otherwise, the printer would not be able to work efficiently. For this reason, the blocks were often made of two pieces of wood: a harder and more durable board was used to carve the pattern, and in the softer one the elongated handles used to operate the stamp were carved. The two boards were joined together with glue and nails, sometimes also with metal screws or wooden pegs.